Automatic tamper for railroad tracks



1951 B. M. MCCALLUM 2,565,037

AUTOMATIC TAMPER FOR RAILROAD TRACKS Filed July '1, 1948 I 70 ya L b 60 I l'mnenton Patented Aug. 21, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC 'TAMPER FOR RAILROAD TRACKS,

Bernard M; McCallum, Council Bluffs, Iowa Application Julyl, 1948, Serial No. 36,390

particularly to an improved devicerfor tampingballast under a tie automatically and in response to the travel of trains across the tie.

In the past, it has been thepractice to em" ploy laborers with tamper bars to replace, the ballast under ties after it has beenvibrated'out of position. This is a costly and inefficient process.

As a result attempts have been made to employ the vibration of the railsto ballast back under the tie. These attempts have @been unsuccessful largely because the tampers employed merely pack a hole into the ballast alongside a tie, then reciprocate back. and forth: in the hole without further tam ping.

This has been the case because the ballast around the hole thus formed becomes hard and does not jiggle downwardly to fill thebottom-of the hole to provide more gravel to be tamped.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an automatic tamper for railroad tracks which'is so constructed as .to loosen gravel on its upward vibration stroke, permitting gravel to fall into the path of thetamper for'packing on its downward vibration stroke;

Another object of the invention is to providev a tamper as described, which lsprovided with tamping surfaces slanting outwardly from and downwardly from a railroad tie for compacting dirt under the tie in a more efiicient manner than heretofore.

Still afurther object of the invention is to provide a railroad tamper having tamping surfaces disposed beneath the railroad tie for more eincient tamping action.

Yet another and further object ofthe invention is to provide a tamper as described employing a plurality of tamping portions or protrusions extending outwardly from the tamper and alongside-a railroad tie in use, such portions bein spaced apart for permitting gravel loosened by the portions to fall therebetween downwardly toward the bottom of the tie.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for the purpose described which-is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient.

in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and utilize.

Other and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof.

In; the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tamper of this invention, shown as attached to an end pertion of a rail, an end portion of an adjacent rail also being shown, the two rails being, connected together by a joint bar, a portion of which is broken away, a railroad tie to be tamped being,

shown in cross-section.

Figure 2 is a View, generally similar to Figure l in all respects with the exception that Figure 2 is taken in looking at the tamper from the other side or inside of the rail;

Figure 3 is a view-in-section taken along the line 3--3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the tamper of, the invention, portions of the securing bolt thereof being broken away.

The tie tamper of this invention is generally indicated at Iii in Figure l and is shown as attached about a railway tie l2 and to a railway rail, generallyindicated at It.

The rail [6 is provided with a foot or flange it, a web I8 and a ball or head 20. The rail H! is disposed closely spaced apart from an adjacent rail 22, the two rails being connected together by means of two joint bars Ed.

The joint bars 24 generally have three holes.

therethrough for the purpose of receiving three bolts 28, which are disposed in use extending through the bars 24 on one side of the rail, through the web l8, and through the joint bars 24 on the opposite side of the rail.

In accordance with this invention, the center bolt 38 is employed for securing a lock-bar 36 of the invention to the web 53 of the rail.

The lock 3% is preferably of an approximate L-shape having an obtuse angle between thev main body portion 32 of the lock and a leg por tion 34 of the lock. The leg is provided with a lower end inclinedly disposed with respect to the main body portion 32 of the lock for engagement with a portion connecting the tops of two spaced apart foot receiving portions (3% of the tamper It.

The foot receiving portions 46 are spaced apart longitudinally of the rail and are disposed on the same side of the rail. The under surface of the 1ock'3il is preferably inclined in parallelism with the adjacent upper surface of the foot E6.

The connecting portion M is disposed in use closely spaced apart from the web l8 and beneath the lock 30.

The distance between the under surface of the lower end of the lock 36 and the bolt 28,, together with the thickness of the connecting portion 46,

3 is such that the lock will bear downwardly upon and clamp the portion 41 against the foot [6 at times when the bolt 28 is tightened.

The tamper Ill further includes two second foot receiving portions 42 which may also be described as second sections of the foot receiving portions 40. The second foot receiving portion 42 are of an approximate V-shape, as is the portion 40. The portions 42 receive the other side of the foot 16.

The open ends of the V-shaped portions and 42 are disposed toward each other and the said portions are of sizes and shapes for close disposal about the respective opposite sides of the foot [6.

The foot portion 42 is provided with two upwardly extending flange portions 44 which latter are adapted to be disposed in parallelism with the web H3 at a time when the foot receiving portion 42 is disposed closely adjacent to and receiving the foot portion IS.

The upright flange portions 44 are each provided with apertures therethrough for receiving the end bolts 28, the said apertures being disposed at the bolts 28 at times when the foot receiving portions 42 are disposed about the foot [6.

The flanges 44 are interconnected at their upper ends by a second flange connectin member 46 which latter extends between the two and in parallelism with the rail [4 in use.

Beneath each of the foot receiving portions 49 The tamping surfaces 52 are preferably disposed entirely lower than the under surface of the tie l2 and the ends 54 of the tamping portions preferably extend beneath the tie I2, past the respective side surfaces of the tie l2. The under surfaces 52 are preferably convexly curved.

The upper sides of the tamping portions 50 are preferably concavely curved generally in parallelism with the under surfaces 52.

The tamping portions or shoes 50 preferably extend longitudinally of the tie l2 a certain distance limited by the cost of manufacturing the tampers.

The under surfaces 52 of the tampers 50 are each provided with a lug xtending outwardly therefrom and transversely thereto. The under surfaces of the lugs 613 preferably extend downwardly and to the side from the tie l2.

The lugs Bil preferably extend in horizontal rows from side to side and substantially co-extensive of the tamping portions 50.

The tamping portions 50 are each held in place by one of two spaced apart frameworks or frames 70, which includes two pairs of parallel spaced apart upright standards which interconnect the foot receiving portions 40 and 42 at each side of the device with the respective tamping portions 50.

A plurality of cross members 12 are also included in the framework 10. The cross members 12 are transversely disposed in use with respect to the rail 14 and are spaced apart from each other. The purpose of the cross bars 12 is to support thereon a plurality of lugs or protrusions 80. The lugs or fingers 8B are spaced apart from each other in directions transverse to the rail l4 and are disposed in rows vertically spaced apart. The tamping portions or lugs 80 are connected at one end to the outer side of their respective cross members 12.

The under surfaces of each of the lugs 80 ex-' truding portions disposed abovesaid tamping tend downwardly and away from the tie [2 at a slant for pushing ballast downwardly and toward the tie l2 during downward vibrational movements of the lugs 88.

Beneath the several horizontal rows of the lugs on each side of the tamper if} one or more vertically spaced apart and parallel angle bars or angle bar portions 99 are provided. The angle bars extend between and are secured to the upright framework standards and are horizontally disposed in use. The under surfaces of the angle bars 98 are slanted downwardly and outwardly from the tie l2 in use.

In operation, it will be seen that the tamper ll] of this invention is attached to the end of a rail H2 in the manner described and that as trains pass over the rail the tamper will define upward and downward vibrational movements.

On each upward movement the upper lugs or tamping portions as will tend to loosen the adjacent ballast permitting the latter to fall downwardly between the lugs 83 on the outer side of the framework standards, and also permitting some of the ballast to fall between the lugs 88, between the cross members l2 and downwardly between the standards of the frames 5% and the adjacent tie E2.

The ballast will be engaged by the angle bars 98 and the lugs Eli and the slanted under surfaces of the angle bars so and lugs 89 will cause the ballast to'be packed downwardly and inward- 1y toward the bottom of the tie l2. When the ballast has reached the underside of the tie i2, it is further packed under the tie by the blunt ends 54 of the tamping portions 56.

It will be seen that on an upward vibrational stroke less ballast is carried upwardly than is carried downwardly on a downward stroke. This is true because of the downward inclination of upper sides of the lugs 36, angle bars 98 and the bottom lugs 66.

t will be seen that this invention has provided an automatic tie tamper, which is particularly adapted for eficient operation because it loosens the ballast on an upward stroke for providing ballast beneath its tamping surfaces to be tamped on the downward stroke. This invention also provides a more'reliable and efficient tamping device than heretofore.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that an automatic tamper for railroad tracks constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A device for attachment to a railway track at the point where the ends of two rails are abutted, the track having a tie disposed beneath the end of one of said rails, said device comprising: a ballast-tamping member, said member having a section thereof extending downwardly from said rail on one side of or below said tie, said section having at least one tamping surface downwardly disposed, and said section being provided with a plurality of ballast-loosening prosurfaces, said protruding portions being elongated and being disposed extending outwardly from said section on the side thereof opposite said tie, said protrusions having slanted under surfaces, said under surfaces being disposed extending downwardly and outwardly from the remainder of said section, said protrusions being provided with slanted upper surfaces, said upper surfaces being disposed extending downwardly and outwardly from the remainder of said section.

2. A device for attachment to a railway track at the point where the ends of two rails are abutted, the track having a tie disposed beneath the end of one of said rails, and at least one joint bar being disposed alongside said rail, said bar being provided with a plurality of apertures therethrough disposed in registry with the apertures in said rail, said rails being substantially of an I-shape in cross-section and each having a foot portion normally downwardly disposed transversely of a center portion, said rails each being provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart apertures through its center portion at said abutted end, said device comprising: a ballast-tamping member, said member provided with downwardly sloping fingers on the outer surface and having a section thereof extending downwardly from said rail on one side of and below said tie, the upper end of said section being provided with an aperture disposed in alignment with said rail aperture and with said bar aperture; and a bolt disposed through the aperture in said section and through an aperture in said bar and through an aperture in said rail for securing all rigidly together.

3. A device for attachment to a railway track at the point where the ends of two rails are abutted, the track having a tie disposed beneath the end of one of said rails, said device comprising: a ballast-tamping member having an elongated frame portion adapted for extending downwardly from said rail on one side of and below said tie the lower end of said ballast tamping member having an arcuate shoe thereon extended under the said tie; a plurality of ballast-loosening protruding portions disposed extending transversely outwardly of the frame on one side thereof and below; and means for securing said ballast-tamping members to said rail.

4. A device for attachment to a railway track at the point where the ends of two rails are abutted, the track having a tie disposed beneath the end of one of said rails, said device comprising: a ballast-tamping member, said member having a section thereof extending downwardly from said rail on one side of and below said tie the lower end of said ballast tamping member having an arcuate shoe thereon extended under the said tie, said section having at least one tamping bar attached thereto and extending outwardly from said section on the side thereof opposite said tie, said tamping bar having a downwardly disposed tamping under surface, said tamping bar having an upper surface slanting downwardly and outwardly from said tie, and said section being provided with a plurality of ballast-loosening protruding portions disposed above said tamping surfaces, said protruding portions being elongated and being disposed extending outwardly from said section on the side thereof opposite said tie.

5. In a rail actuated tamper, the combination which comprises a railroad rail, a tie upon which the rail is positioned, a pair of frames having outwardly and downwardly sloping fingers extended from the outer surfaces thereof positioned below the rail and spaced from the sides of the tie, said frames having arcuate shoes on the lower ends extended below and inwardly under the tie, and means mounting the said frames on the rail.

6. In a rail actuated tamper, the combination which comprises a railroad rail, a tie upon which the rail is positioned, a pair of frames havin spaced vertically disposed side bars connected at the upper ends with bars extended longitudinally of the rail and said side bars connected by cross bars extended transversely of the rail and positioned below the rail, said side bars having arcuate shoes on the lower ends extended below and under the said tie, outwardly and downwardly sloping fingers on the cross bars of the upper parts thereof and outwardly and downwardly slop-ing plates on the cross bars of the lower parts thereof, and means mounting said frames on the rail.

BERNARD M. MCC'ALLUM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,135,443 DuRall Apr. 13, 1915 2,314,750 Woodings Mar. 23, 1943 2,331,148 Surprenant Oct. 5, 1943 

